How to Stop a Puppy From Barking – You recently purchased a new puppy and later discovered that he or she was barking all the time. When you first found out about it, did you think to yourself, “That can’t be right”? Or did you think to yourself, “Great, another problem I have to deal with”? If the latter, then this article is for you!
If your answer was yes to either of those questions, then congratulations! You may have just eliminated one of the most common problems with your puppy and saved thousands of dollars in vet bills as a result.
But what if that wasn’t all? What if you also knew that doing nothing had made your pup worse? What if that fatty paw rubbing all over the house had been caused by an underlying condition? Let’s take a look at both of these factors and see if we can help.
What is a Barking Puppy?
If your pup barks because he or she is just too stressed out from something, you may have a barking puppy — one withperks. Barking pups are typically hyperactive and overstimulated, which can lead to them nuzzling and nappy-jumping, excessive vocalization, and a wide array of other misbehaviors.
Barking puppies typically have deep rooted emotional issues, like depression, anxiety, and separation anxiety, and could be a result of a wide variety of issues.
Why Does My Puppy Bark?
Barking is normal. It’s not a sign of stress, it’s just how your pup is reacting to things. If your pup barks because he or she is just too stressed out from something, you may have a barking puppy — one with perks.
Barking pups are typically hyperactive and overstimulated, which can lead to them nuzzling and nappy-jumping, excessive vocalization, and a wide array of other misbehaviors.
Barking pups typically have deep rooted emotional issues, like depression, anxiety, and separation anxiety, and could be a result of a wide variety of issues.
What’s the Cause of Barking Pups?
Many owners worry that their pup is only growling because he or she is stressed out. While it’s true that stress can cause growling, it’s important to distinguish between what’s normal and what’s excessive.
Overstressed pups growl in order to escape from stress, while stressed pups growl to make themselves heard. The truth is, stress doesn’t cause barking, but it can cause other negative behaviors, like overstimulation, anxiety, and depression. The following are the major causes of puppy barking:
1. Separation
Anxiety Separation anxiety is the most common cause of barking, and it’s often misdiagnosed as an illness. Dogs with separation anxiety bark and whine when their owners leave them alone.
They’ll also show signs of extreme stress and depression when left alone, such as pacing, drooling, destruction, and even urination or defecation. Separation anxiety can be fixed by training your pup to enjoy his or her time alone.
2. Overstimulation
Excessive vocalization isn’t always a sign of a barking problem. For example, dogs that are excited or overstimulated may bark excessively while they run around or play with other dogs or people.
It’s important to recognize the difference between normal excitement and a serious problem like separation anxiety. Overstimulated pups will usually stop barking once they calm down — this is normal!
3. Anxiety
When pups get anxious, they will often engage in excessive vocalization because their stress makes them feel like their life is at risk — even if it isn’t! The most common anxiety-related causes for excessive vocalization are:
- Travel
- Noise
- Fear
- Boredom
- Change in routine
4. Boredom
Bored pups will often bark in order to get attention from someone — this could be another animal or person! In order to stop your pup from barking out of boredom, it’s important to find him or her something else to do. Try one of these boredom busters:
5. Attention Seeking
Barking is a great way for pups to get attention from people — and they’ll do it at any cost! If you want to deter your pup from barking in order to get attention, you can reward him or her with attention when they stop.
6. Attention Avoidance
When pups are feeling anxious or scared, they may bark in order to avoid interacting with the thing that’s scaring them. It’s important to understand that this isn’t an effective strategy, but it’s a common one! If your pup tries this trick out, try to engage with him or her instead of leaving the area — this will help them feel more comfortable and less likely to bark again.
7. Frustration
When pups feel frustrated or angry, they may decide to bite whatever is frustrating them at the time! If your pup is barking because he feels frustrated, try giving him something else to chew on like a bully stick or chew toy.
8 Ways To Stop Your Pup From Barking
1. Crate Training
Crate training can be an effective way to stop your pup from barking! When your pup is confined in a crate, he or she will not be able to bark and will likely get bored without anything to do. If you’re not sure how to crate train your pup, we have a great step-by-step guide that can help!
2. Distraction Techniques
If your pup is barking because he or she is bored, try distracting them with a fun toy! If they’re barking because they want attention, try giving them some attention as a reward for not barking.
3. Counter-Conditioning and Desensitization
Counter-conditioning and desensitization can help your pup learn to stop barking when another dog walks by. The first step in this process is teaching your pup to associate seeing another dog with good things — for example, if there are other dogs at the dog park nearby, take your pup to the park and give him or her treats whenever they see another dog.
After a few weeks of this step, you can start walking by other dogs on purpose — but make sure to give your pup treats every time you do so! Eventually, being around other dogs will become associated with good things for them (like treats) instead of bad things (like fear).
This will help them learn not to bark in the presence of other dogs. To learn more about counter-conditioning and desensitization training methods, check out our guide!
4. Positive Reinforcement Training
You can also use positive reinforcement training methods like clicker training to train your pup not to bark by giving him or her treats whenever he or she doesn’t bark!
If you’re not sure how clicker training works, we have an informative guide that can teach you everything you need to know!
5. Housetraining Your Pup
Another way to stop your puppy from barking is by getting him or her used to being in a crate. Crate training will teach your pup to hold his or her bladder and bowels until they are let out of the crate, which can help your pup learn not to bark out of fear.
By keeping your pup in a crate while you’re gone, you’re essentially giving him or her the opportunity to hold their bladder and bowels as long as they need to, which will make them less likely to bark out of fear when they have to go. If you have any questions about how housetraining works, check out our guide!
6. Removing Your Pup’s Fear-Inducing Tags
When it comes time for you and your puppy to leave the house, don’t put on his or her tags until after he or she has been outside pottying and playing for at least 15 minutes — this will ensure that he or she has already eliminated before you put on their tags and leave the house. This will help prevent them from barking due to a full bladder!
7. Leash Training Your Pup
A lot of dogs bark when they are leashed because they feel trapped — but if you train them that it’s okay with leash, it can really help reduce their barking! Just be sure not give them treats too early — wait until after they’ve stopped barking before giving them anything!
8. Taking Your Pup To The Park
If your dog barks out of boredom because he or she doesn’t have any toys or a place to play where you live, taking him or her to the park might help curb their barking. Just make sure they get plenty of exercise and play time before you go — otherwise they might just bark the whole time.
The Two Most Important Commands For Stops Barking and Jumping
If your dog barks and starts jumping around, you’re probably not doing a good job of training your canine. You’re also probably not succeeding in keeping your canine from over barking.
The best strategy is to teach your canine to sit, stay, and calm down when he or she’s in a playful mood, so he or she doesn’t squirm and get out of control when he or she’s nervous. Similarly, if your canine is jumping when he or she’s stressed out, it’s probably because you’re not doing something about it. Try to understand your canine’s behavior and make adjustments if necessary.
Conclusion
Barking is normal. It’s not a sign of stress, it’s just how your pup is reacting to things. If your pup barks because he or she is just too stressed out from something, you may have a barking puppy — one with perks. Barking pups are typically hyperactive and overstimulated, which can lead to them nuzzling and nappy-jumping, excessive vocalization, and a wide array of other misbehaviors. Barking pups typically have deep rooted emotional issues, like depression, anxiety, and separation anxiety, and could be a result of a wide variety of issues. When a barking puppy bit a non-human animal, or even a pet, it can result in behavior modification, like a training procedure designed to teach your pup to stop whining and start whining only.
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